Just me and a TV star shooting the breeze

Hello my little chickadees
I've got a right coup this week. He's not only an author, but also runs a publishing house and is a star of TV.

Here we go then...

ROD GLENN 

                                          WRITER PUBLISHER AND TV SUPER STAR  J

         

                     

Q.  Hi Rod please tell us all about yourself.

A. Rod is an author and actor from Newcastle upon Tyne. Novels include the best-selling Sinema series and TV roles include, Ripper Street, The Hippopotamus, The Hollow Crown, Wolfblood and Bill.      

Q.  In what part of the country do you live?

A. I still live in Newcastle, but do a lot of travelling depending upon my filming schedule.

Q.  As you know I come from the South of England and I’ve always considered Northerners a friendly bunch, but in your experience do you consider there are a lot of differences between Northerners and Southerners? J

A. The media like to create barriers and division, but no, in my experience there are lovely people everywhere (and a few bad eggs too, unfortunately!).

Q.  Have you any hobbies? (No! you can’t mention that one lol)

A. I don’t know what you mean! ;) I’ve always been a keen fitness fanatic – weight-training, boxing and rock climbing being three favourites.  I’m also a big reader and film fanatic (one of the reasons Han Whitman (Sinema) is as well.

Q.  What do you do to chill out?

A. If I’m not reading or watching a film, I tend to listen to music with a bottle of red wine or whisky.

Tee: Mmm music and red wine. I'm there.

Q.  Is there a day job?

A. As well as the writing and acting, I also run Wild Wolf Publishing, which involves submissions, editing, formatting, promotion etc.

Q.  Tell us about your books Rod. When did you first start writing? How many have you completed? Is there a work in progress?

A. I started writing in High School and completed the first draft of my first novel not long after (that novel, The King of America took another 15 years or so to get published).  I now have 6 published novels and short stories in several anthologies.  I have just released the sixth novel (The Fortress) and currently have a busy filming schedule, so taking a little break from writing at the moment.  I don’t tend to stay away from writing for more than a few months though, so I’ll be back at it before the end of the year.

 Q.  If you could have any animal from time immemorial as a pet for long freezing days and nights, what would you choose and why?

A. I would have a wolf.  I have always loved wolves and have a wolf tattoo on my right bicep.  They have so many qualities that I admire including strength and loyalty.

Q.  A fantasy holiday is offered to you with all expenses paid … where would you choose to go? One drawback - you can only take five items in total with you and you can’t buy anything extra when you get there. What would you take?

A. I would go into space and would take my ipod and the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe. That’s all I’d need.  Clothes optional!

Q.  As a publisher, writer and TV star, how do you fit in everything with your day-to-day life?

A. Lots of careful planning and then lots of running around like a headless chicken when things don’t go to plan (as so often happens!).

Q.  Overall how do you feel you are best able to support your Wolfite writers?

A. Wolfites are part of a great community who all help each other out and I like to think that I help by bringing that community together and also spreading the word through my Facebook and Twitter following.

Q.  Favourite meal (hot and cold)

A. I like FOOD!  So tough question, but it would probably have to be a home-cooked roast dinner.

Q.  Favourite drink (hot and cold)

A. Single malt Scotch whisky and coffee

Q.  Have you any tips or hints you’ve found that were successful for you in promotion of your work?

A. You need to engage with readers and reviewers through blogs and social media. Through engagement, you can get reviews and the more reviews you get the more chance of new readers taking a chance on your work.

Q.  What are your favourite genres to read and write? Do you actually get time to read now?

A. A writer always needs to find time to read – there is a danger that you will stagnate as a writer if you stop reading.  I read many genres (also important) – horror, sci-fi, comedy, historical, thrillers etc, but horror will probably always hold a special place in my heart as that is what got me into reading in the first place.  I don’t have a favourite genre to write in – I concentrate more on the story and the characters in that story and then the genre/pigeon-holing comes later as it develops.

Tee: Very good advice there Rod thank you.

Q.  You’ve set up a fictitious publishing house using FB writer friends to help run it. What would you name it? Who would you choose to run the different departments? As the owner, how would you ensure the FB staff achieved success for you?

A. I already have a publishing house and several FB friends do actually help me with it! J Monique helps with submissions, Poppet creates covers and several others help with promotion.

Q.  If you were given the chance to star in any popular long running TV series which part would you like to play?

A. I would love to play a Northern warrior in Game of Thrones.  I auditioned for a role in it a couple of seasons ago, but was unsuccessful.  I don’t think I’ll ever get over it!!!  If the casting director is reading this – please give me another chance!!!

Tee: Point me in his direction and I'll 'duff him up' until he submits sunshine.

Q.  I was told that my Erasmus series would be suitable for a TV adaptation. Which of your books do you think would make suitable material for TV?

A. As a huge film fanatic, my writing style has always been described as cinematic, so I would like to think they would all be suitable for TV or film adaptations.  The Sinema series would of course be my first choice (the screenplay has already been adapted) with The Killing Moon being a close second (a post-apocalyptic Northern England would be great to see).

Q.  Finally Rod please tell us about your vast acting career.

A. There’s too many to list, but some include World War Z, Fury, The Monuments Men, Macbeth, Bill, The Fairy Flag, Ripper Street, Vera, Wolfblood, Bliss!, The Hollow Crown, The Hippopotamus, National Treasure and many short films.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rod-Glenn/e/B0034PNPFUhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Rod-Glenn/e/B0034PNPFU

IMDb Page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5447748/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5447748/

Rod Glenn Showreel 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leMZFloGmbUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leMZFloGmbU

Rod Glenn Showreel 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDfJSmIIns4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDfJSmIIns4

Wild Wolf Publishing: http://wildwolfpublishing.com/http://wildwolfpublishing.com/

Rod Glenn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodglennauthoractor/https://www.facebook.com/rodglennauthoractor/

Wild Wolf Publishing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildWolfPublishing/https://www.facebook.com/WildWolfPublishing/

Rod Glenn Twitter: https://twitter.com/rodglennhttps://twitter.com/rodglenn

The latest book

Did I also say he's my publisher? No? Well there ya go. 

Check out the videos if you want to see some diverse acting skills.

Cheers Rod

Laters Potaters

Tulips Clogs and a Dutch Girl

Hello my little chickadees and how are you today? All tickedy boo I trust.
This time on my blog I have a lovely Dutch girly by the name of Hannah.
Take it away Hannah.

Hello I'm Hannah.

As a short story writer and poet with more than 50 years experience, I’ve been writing fiction since I could hold a pen but entered the arena of published authorship rather late in life. That can certainly be ascribed to being a late bloomer in practically every other part of life as well.  I’m very happy to have been scooped up by my Irish publisher Tirgearr Publishing, who also hold my feet to the fire. I can be an erratic writer and tend to stray off into lapses of prolonged procrastination. But writing stories is still the reason I jump out of bed with a smile on my face each morning because there’s nothing like an uninterrupted stretch of good keyboard imagination and sizzling hopes of reader satisfaction.

When I’m not writing or thinking about writing, you can find me at the paid job at my local university translating stuff and recruiting international students, experimenting with organic food in my kitchen, stretching my old bones in Yoga or glued to WhatsApp exchanging funny messages with my grown-up kids.

But writing is the real deal for me; I’m on a mission to become a seasoned writer of a series about women who are faced with impossible choices in life and still they crack it, whether they perish or not. I write both contemporary and historical fiction, books that can be quite dark and gloomy but I make sure the faith in redemption always keeps hovering over my heroine.

I’m a passionate believer in gritty tales. I don’t believe life, real life, is ever easy, or long-term perfect, or happy-ever-after. A stiff degree of tragedy and drama makes my own blood cringe and sing simultaneously. So yes, you’ll need some stamina to stomach my stories.

 WHERE DO YOU LIVE HANNAH

In the south-west of The Netherlands (yes, still very much part of the European Union)

 

    YOUR FAMILY (TWO LEGGED AND FOUR LEGGED)

My two-legged family consists of (in order of age) my son-in-law (35), my (almost) daughter-in-law (28), and two sons (26) and (23). The four-legged creature is an old cat by the name of Poek.

 IF YOU HAD A FANTASY FAMILY WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AS FAMILY MEMBERS

  

All my FB writer friends, in particular one called Tee Gee.

 HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN ALIEN

  

Certainly. After too much dope in the 70s.

 ALIAS YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO BY

The Dutchess

 YOU ARE OPENING A FANTASY FB PUBLISHING HOUSE. WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? WHO WOULD YOUR EMPLOYEES BE AND WHAT ROLES WOULD THEY PLAY?

I'd call it “Alice’s Sweatshop”

Tee Gee: Head Witch (sits behind desk and stirs in all pots)

Soooz: Head Broom sweeper (editor)

C Reg Jones: Head of Beverages (sees to the cogs in the machine)

Sheila Belshaw: Head of Flowers (picks the best blooming types)

Catherine Chisnall: Head of Execution (gets rids of the dummies)

Mandy Ward: Head of Decorations (designs the covers)

Jo Sexton: Head of Down-Under (sees to hygiene)

Tom Winton: Head of Literature (rips out badly written pages)

Jillian Ward: Head of Stitches (keeps everyone together) 

Robert Craven: Head of Irish Sunshine (assists God)

Sessha Batto: Head of Weaponry (defends the sweatshop a la Japanese)

 S/PUBLISHING V TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES

I’m not one for self-publishing. Can’t do all that crap on my own so am quite content to rub myself against my Indie publisher.

 TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR BOOKS YOU’VE WRITTEN

My first book Casablanca My Heart was released by Tirgearr Publishing in 2015. This was a book testing the waters, as I called it now, and a far cry from how I’m developing as a writer. But we all need that debut that makes us slightly shudder later on in our careers.

The first book of the trilogy of The Jenna Kroon Series, The Cottage on The Border was also published in 2015. The second book, The Farm on Nieuw Land Road, is currently entering its final stages and will hopefully be published early in 2017, followed by the third book The House on Broadway also in 2017.

 IF YOU COULD BE SOMEONE ELSE, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE? (MALE OR FEMALE)

Male for a while, I think. Haha, that’s no answer and yet it is!

 SPELLS YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO MAKE, FOR PEOPLE WHO ‘UPSET’ YOU. 

I wouldn’t mind bewitching some politicians (no names). I'd like to see them dance wild and naked (head banging included) in the forest with all of us watching from the bushes. Then see them sleep it off and, on waking up, be so utterly ashamed of themselves that they finally realise who they are and what they do to other people. #exitbigego.

 YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD RECIPE

Sponge cake with fresh raspberries and cream

 YOUR RECIPE FOR LIFE

See the leaves rustle in the late afternoon sunlight..

LINKS

Website: http://www.hannahwarrenauthor.com/http://www.hannahwarrenauthor.com/

FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/HannahWarrenAuthor/https://www.facebook.com/HannahWarrenAuthor/

Tirgearr author page:  http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Warren_Hannahhttp://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Warren_Hannah

:https://twitter.com/hannah_war

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6424314.Hannah_Warrenhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6424314.Hannah_Warren

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Hannah-Warren/e/B008A0DHS4http://www.amazon.com/Hannah-Warren/e/B008A0DHS4

 BOOK COVERS

So that is the story of our little Dutch girly. I hope you enjoyed it.

Laters Potaters